Tenebrio molitor eggs? Or mold?

artchic528

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 15, 2011
Messages
42
So, I've been keeping a colony Darkling Beetles for a while now, and I've noticed something peculiar. I was organizing the beetles into one drawer of my three drawer system (one drawer for each life stage; larvae, pupae, and adult). I haven't been very on myself to transfer the newly emerged adults into the "Adult" drawer, to the point of having only adults in the "Pupae" drawer (yes, all the pupae had emerged as adults and I didn't immediately transfer them after they had hardened). They were in the "Pupae" drawer for some time too. About a week or two.

Anyways, to the point. As I was dumping the beetles into the "Adult" drawer, I noticed that there were some peculiar spots on the bottom of the drawer itself. They looked whitish-beige, seem to attract particles from the bran (as in they have a very sticky surface) and are very irregular in shape. They are also very small, about the size of the head of a pin, if that. Maybe a millimeter in width? Circumference? I don't know what the right term to use is here.

Here is a close up picture of the spots, if it'll help. Are they clusters/clutches of eggs? Or are they colonies of mold?

100_1202.jpg
 

artchic528

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 15, 2011
Messages
42
So, no one has any ideas? Hmmm.

I've added a layer of bran into the drawer and then put a baby carrot in there too, on the off chance that these actually ARE eggs.
 

Dean Rider

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 3, 2014
Messages
29
So, no one has any ideas? Hmmm.

I've added a layer of bran into the drawer and then put a baby carrot in there too, on the off chance that these actually ARE eggs.
There isn't anything in the picture that is obviously egg-like. This paper shows the life stages in figure 1, including eggs with a ruler next to the eggs.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/14/4/

This person was raising mealworms...a picture of an egg with oats is presented further down the page.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mealworm-fam-experiences

This may help you decide if you have eggs or not.

Best Regards,
Dean
 

korg

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 24, 2013
Messages
596
I have raised T. molitor before and these sludgy piles don't look anything like normal eggs. If these were clustered together eggs they certainly look like they have rotted, molded, or otherwise been seriously compromised.
 
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JeromeTabuzo

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 18, 2013
Messages
326
I agree with korg. i saw T.molitor eggs , it should look like small grains but thinner and longer they are small and always camouflaged in the bran. I saw some eggs already my beetles laid it under a small rotting branch. They should be dryish looking and will really resemble rice ( it kinda looks like the cricket eggs).
 
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